1000 FOREST GORILLAS IN KANSAS Set for Salvage Vanguard Theatre, 3/26-29

One of Austin's most highly-acclaimed dancer/choreographers Heloise Gold, and highly acclaimed lighting designer/ performer Natalie George along with a heavy-hitting Austin ensemble, present one weekend of exciting new performance, 1000 Forest Gorillas in Kansas. The four performances take place March 26-29, Thursday through Saturday at 8:00 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm at Salvage Vanguard Theatre, 2803 Manor Road, Austin, TX 78722. Tickets range from $18-35, and may be purchased online, http://1000gorillas.brownpapertickets.com/.

Focused on the evolution of creativity, the spark for 1,000 Forest Gorillas in Kansas was partially ignited out of a powerful dream Gold had a few years ago (of a gorilla, literally) and a four-day residency with George to 'Pilot Balloon Church'; a temporary artist's colony in Lawrence, Kansas, founded by former Austinites Matt Hislope and Josh Meyer of Rubber Repertory.

During their time in Lawrence last year, the two women spent time exploring the gorilla dream, and also began to notice random serendipitous themes, such as the number 1,000, for instance, and these themes found their way into the piece. "It was uncanny," says Gold, "we kept coming across the number '1,000', even in the address of Pilot Balloon, which got us thinking about the things that we do in life 1,000 times." George adds, "As an exercise, during our stay, we would do certain things 1,000 times, sips of water, for example, to mindfully feel that number." And that particular act is playfully incorporated into the piece, as a ticker counts the sips throughout the performance.

Another theme arose from Matt Hislope (who also lived at Pilot Balloon), entering and exiting during the rehearsal process. "He was very careful about trying to be quiet and not interrupting us," Gold says, "...but we had to laugh because his 'quiet' entrances and exits were a sort of performance in and of themselves. So of course we incorporated those as well."

The production has four sections or movements. One powerful movement is an examination of the disembodiment of written communication through texting. Another, includes a duet between Gold and Ellen Bartel ; the interplay between gorilla and human. Throughout each, there is a 'dreamlike' quality, which lends itself to open interpretation by the spectator. The ensemble enters and exits strategically, 'morph' into different roles and serve as a chorus.

"This work is in part a 'thank you' or tribute to Matt and Josh, who have done something truly extraordinary with Pilot Balloon. They hosted 72 artists in 12 months. 1000 Forest Gorillas in Kansas is a documentation of the creative energy and inspiration that came out of our time there," Heloise says. "It's also a tribute to friendship, the creative process and how art is formed through that energy, taking on a life of its own."

For ticket information visit: http://1000gorillas.brownpapertickets.com/